Hello gardeners,
If you follow The Garden Path on other platforms such as Twitter or TikTok, then you’ll likely have met some of The Garden’s vegetable-headed residents. From Caroline to Art, Molly to Otto, I’ve been sharing some facts about the folk you might meet during your play.
I thought it would only be fitting to share a little bit more about some of the animal travellers that will wander through The Garden from time to time - sharing wares in addition to some wise words.
Who else could we start with, then, on National Pig Day?
So please welcome Buttercup...
Buttercup is a British Landrace Pig who loves digging through the earth and mud. With a cheery, cheeky attitude, Buttercup is a classic ‘salt of the earth’ kind and is a treasure to meet.
Most of her time is spent underground mining for irrigation. However, it’s not unlike her to get lost on occasion and she’s known for scrambling up and stumbling into growing gardens ~ much like your own.
Still, getting lost is a difficult business. As such, Buttercup is likely to take a break and treat herself to a reinvigorating cup of tea while taking her well-deserved rest.
Because of her time underground, Buttercup has managed to collect an impressive cluster of different soils. If you’re lucky enough to catch her while she’s above-ground, then be sure to offer her a fine brew, and maybe you’ll get a sample of her collection in exchange.
Game Updates
The player map is being revisited, now generating itself automatically according to the layout of trees, rivers and bridges. It still needs a bit of work, but helps to provide a more accurate overview of the garden, and will change now as the garden changes. It also alleviates my task of hand-drawing each map portion, as it was done previously.
Bunk's new artwork has finally landed, along with a refresh to the tea-pouring visualizer.
New reeds and rocks decorate the rivers and water-ways, helping them visually settle into the garden's landscape.
A subtle new foliage effect has been added to the game, where the artwork slowly fades in and amongst itself, giving it a better feeling of depth, and a more ethereal mood to the garden, without being distracting.
Caoimhe will now find their way into the garden, and will be stocking up on the latest garbs and trends for your character to don.
...And because small touches are important, there's now a subtle dust animation when the player runs, and you'll leave behind little footprints in your trail.
But there's more that's yet-to-come this month.
Soon, depending on how keen-eyed your character is, you'll begin to notice spots for treasure, either buried underground or tucked into the nooks of trees. Among other goodies, you can begin to unlock the old gardener's journal this way, and learn more about the old garden.
And finally, Cold's Pass will soon be arriving to the game, an end-of-year ceremony to say goodbye to the cold weather, and welcome in the new spring. Seems particularly fitting this time of year...
Until next time…
Louis, carrotcake
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